Electric-motor controller.



No. 807,937. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905.

H. D. JAMES.

ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1905.

2 SHEBTS-SHBET II No. 807,937. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905. H. D. JAMES.

ELECTRIC MOTOR CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3, 1905.

2 SHBBTSSH EET 2 ATTCRNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. JAMES, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO VVEST- INGHOUSE ELECTRIC &; MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICQMOTOR CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905 Application filed April 3, 1905. Serial No- 253,633.

1'0 a LU/b07771 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY 'D.-JAuns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Motor Controllers, (Case No. 1,367,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to controllers for electric motors,and particularlyto such controllers as are employed in connection with motors that require heavy starting-currents.

The object of my invention is to provide a controller which shall be simple in construction, effective in operation, and well adapted for application to a system of motor control that embodies separate protective means for the starting and the running positions, respectively.

The separate protection of the motor under starting and running conditions makes it advisable to prevent the motor-controller from running over the starting positions in passing from the running position to the off position, since an interruption of the runningcircuit may occur for any reason, such as an overload,- and the motor be brought to rest, while the controller remains in the running position. If it is then returned to the last starting position, which, being in a separate circuit, is still connected to the line, an excessive current is delivered to the motor. To prevent disastrous results of this kind, my invention provides a controller which is prevented by an interlocking device from returning through the starting positions and is free to pass directly and forwardly from a running position to the off position.

Myinvention is illustrated in the accompa nying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a control system in which fuses are employed as protective devices. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 a plan view, of a controller with cover removed to disclose the drum-actuating mechanism.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, polyphasealternating-current energy is supplied from line conductors 1 2 and 3 4 to a two-phase motor 5 through a controller 6, which has a plurality of starting positions a, 7), 0, d, and e and one running position f so arranged that the electromotive forces of the two phases are varied in unison.

Considering first the phase X, that is supplied by conductors 1 2, connections are completed when the controller 6 is in the position a from conductor 1, through the blade 7 of a main-line switch 8, conductors 9 and 10, contact-finger 11, contact-ring segment 12, contact-ring segment 13, and contact-finger 14, to one terminal 15 of an autotransformer 16, which regulates the voltage of phase X that is supplied to the motor 5. From a tap 17 on the autotransformer 16 connection is completed, through contact-finger 17*, contactring segments 18 and 19, and finger 20, to one terminal 21 of the motor 5. The other terminal 22 of the motor 5 pertaining to phase X is connected, through conductors 23 and 24, finger 25, ring-segments 26 and 27, finger 28, conductors 29 and 30, and blade 3O ot' the switch 8, to the line conductor 2.

hen the controller 6 is moved from position a to position 6, connection is similarly made through another tap 31, finger 31, and ring-segment 31", thereby increasing the voltage supplied to the motor 5. The voltage is similarly increased as the controller passes through positions 0, (Z, and (2, since current flows successively from the taps 32, 33, and 34 of the autotransformer 16, through fingers 35, 36, and 37 and ring-segments 38, 39, and

'40, to the ring-segments 19 without any other change in the circuit connections; but as the controller passes from the position a to the position f current from line conductor 1 passes through conductor 41 instead of through the conductor 10, since the finger 11 no longer engages with the ring-segment l2 and finger 42 engages ring-segment 43 and completes connection from the conductor 41, through the finger 42, ring-segment 43, ring-segment 44, finger 20, and conductor 45, to terminal 21 of the motor 5, which connection throws the full-line voltage on the motor, but causes the current to flow through the conductor 41, which was not used in the starting positions a, b, 0, (Z, and a. At the same time connections are completed from the terminal 22 of the motor 5, through conductors 23 and 24, finger 25, ring-segment 26, ring-segment 46, finger 47, conductor 48, and conductor 30, to line conductor 2, conductor 48 being used for this position instead of conductor 29, which was used for the starting positions a, b, 0, (Z, and 6, so that by inserting a fuse 49 in the path 41 and a similar fuse 50 in the path 48 the motor may be protected to suit running conditions without preventing the use of heavy starting-currents, which may be limited by equipping the main line 1 2 with proper fuses 1 and 2 to suit starting conditions.

The conductors 3 4 supply alternating current of phase Y to the motor 5, which is regulated in an exactly similar manner to that employed for phase X, as hereinbefore described. In connection with phase Y a switch 51 corresponds to the switch 8 of phase X, an auto transformer 52 corresponds to the transformer 16, and a plurality of conductors 53, 54, 55, and 56 to the conductors 29, 48, 10, and 41, respectively. The conductors 54 and 56 are provided with fuses 57 and 58, which are respectively similar to the fuses 50 and 49, that pertain to phase X, and line conductors 3 and 4 may be provided with fuses 3 and 4 In Figs. 2 and 3 is illustrated a controller 113, comprising a base 114, a drum-actuating mechanism. 115, a manually-operated controller-handle 116, a plurality of drums 117 and 118, a tank or casing 119, and a shaft 120. The drum-actuating mechanism is supported from the main base 114 by a plurality of rods 121, 122, and 123 and comprises a spider 124. having a bearing 125 for the upper end of ashaft 126, which constitutes one section of the main shaft, the shaft 120 constituting the other section. A top plate 127 supports the shaft 120 in a bearing 129 and a sleeve 130, on which are cast a spurgear 131 and a cam-wheel 132. Attached to the plate 127 is a frame 133, to which the bearing-spider 124 and the supporting-rods 121, 122, and 123 are fastened. The lower end of the shaft 120 is provided with a collar 134, which has a projection 135 that may engage with a notch 136 in the sleeve 130. Under normal operating conditions the collar 134 is held in engagement with the sleeve 130, and the gearwheel 131 on the sleeve 130 engages gear-wheels 141 and 142, which are keyed to the shafts of the controller-drums 117 and 118, respectively, that are rotatabl y supported upon an independent base 143, which is suspended from the spidercasting 124 by means of a plurality of rods or bars 144, 145, and 146. A pawl 149 is pressed into engagement with the cam-wheel 132 by a spring 150 in the usual manner. A plurality of notches a, b, 0, (Z, a, f, and g in the cam wheel 132 correspond to different controller positions and serve to indicate each operating position. In order to further accentuate the operating positions and to prevent passing from the running to the ofl position by mistake, I provide a series of corresponding notches on the top plate 127, that are engaged by a pawl 151 in the handle 116,

which must be released by a push-button 152 in the usual manner, when the controller occupies the running position.

Assuming that the cam-wheel 132 is moved so that the pawl 149 first engages the notch g and then the notches a, b, e, (Z, and a, which correspond to the starting position of the controller, and finally the notch f, which corresponds to the running positionof the controller, the notches g and f of the cam 132 are so formed that when the pawl 149 engages either of them the cam-wheel cannot be reversely rotated. In other words, when the controller is in the off position it may be moved only to the first starting position, and when it is in the full running position it can be moved only to the off position.

While I have shown and described a specific combination of devices for effecting a desired result, I desire it to be understood that all variations in form, dimensions, and arrangement of parts which do not materially change the mode of operation or result are within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a controller, the combination with a rotatable, contact-carrying member and an operating-handle therefor, of a notched wheel attached to said rotatable member, the notches of which correspond to a series of controller positions, a pawl held in engagement with said notches by a spring, certain of said notches being constructed to limit the motion of said contact-carrying member to one direction of rotation, and a separate means for stopping and holding a rotatable member in certain positions.

2. In a controller, the combination with a rotatable, contact-carrying member, and an operating-handle therefor, of an interlocking device for permitting the progressive rotation of said contact-carrying member in one direction and for preventing rotation in the opposite direction when said member occupies certain predetermined positions, comprising a notched wheel rigidly fixed upon the shaft of said contact-carrying member and a pawl held in engagement with the wheelnotches, and a separate latching device for positively stopping and holdingsaid rotatable member in one or more predetermined positions.

3. The combination with a translating device andacontroller therefor, of an interlocking device and separate protective device that is operative only when said controller occupies a predetermined running position from which said controller is limited by said interlocking device to a single direction of motion but is permitted an indefinitely progressive motion in said direction.

4. The combination with an electric motor and a controller therefor, of an interlocking device and protective means that are operative at certain predetermined current values when said controller occupies a plurality of starting positions and that are operative at certain other predetermined current values when said controller occupies a predetermined running position from which said controller is limited by said interlocking device to a single direction of motion and is permitted an indefinitely progressive motion in said direction.

5. The combination with an electric motor and a controller therefor, of an interlocking device and protective means that are operative at certain predetermined current values when said controller occupies a plurality of starting positions from which said controller is free to move in either direction and that are operative at certain other predetermined current values when said controller occupies a predetermined running position from which said controller is limited by said interlocking device to a single direction of motion and is permitted an indefinitely progressive motion in said direction.

6. In a controller, the combination with a rotatable, contact-carrying member, and an operating-handle therefor, of two independent interlocking devices of which one comprises a cam-wheel attached to said member and engaged by a pawl to limit the motion of said member to a single direction of rotation from certain predetermined positions, and the other comprises a manually-released ratchet attached to said operating-handle to lock said contact-carrying member in certain predetermined positions, which may or may not correspond to the aforesaid positions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22d day of March, 1905.

HENRY D. JAMES.

Witnesses:

OTTO S. SOHAIRER, BIRNEY HINES. 

